The Origins of Happiness

Chapter 1

mental illness is one based on an actual diagnosis (and this

is the measure that we mainly use in Chapter 6). However in

the British Cohort Study we have to rely on 24 self- reported

answers to questions. This is a weakness, and we therefore

lag this measure (using the answers the individual gave to

these 24 questions at ages 34 and 26) to remove the simul-

taneous effect of temporary mood on reports of mental

health and life- satisfaction. Even so, the estimated effects

of mental health are large and similar to the estimates in

Chapter 6.^9 Moreover they are, both here and later, larger

than the explanatory power of physical health, as mea-

sured by the number of health conditions the person is

experiencing.

So how can policy makers influence these proximate de-

terminants of well- being? Clearly policies directed at adults

are important— policies on poverty, adult education, em-

ployment, crime, family support, and health. But another

vital, and complementary, approach is to intervene earlier,

in childhood, in order to improve the later outcomes. This

Figure 1.1. How adult life- satisfaction at 34 and 42 is affected by adult outcomes

at these ages (British Cohort Study)

0.20

Income

Qualications

Not unemployed

Non-criminality

Partnered

Physical health

Emotional health (lagged)

0.07 (0.01)

0.02 (0.01)

0.08 (0.01)

0.06 (0.02)

0.17 (0.01)

0.06 (0.01)

0.18 (0.01)

β (s.e.)

0.00 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 R^2 = 0.147